Healthy Eating: The DOs and DON’Ts of Frozen Yogurt

Healthy Eating: The DOs and DON’Ts of Frozen Yogurt

Frozen yogurt is the skinny treat you turn to all summer long to keep your diet in check and your sweet tooth satisfied—that’s why it reigns as the queen of hot-weather desserts. But hold up: Certain fro-yo flavors, toppings, and portions can tip your icy concoction from a healthy eating DO to a diet DON’T in seconds. We’ve got fro-yo facts and sneaky tricks from nutrition experts so you can indulge sans guilt.

Frozen Yogurt Tip: DO reverse the order of your cup.

To keep yogurt calories under control, Rachel Beller, M.S., R.D., founder of Beller Nutritional Institute and nutritionist for NBC’s The Biggest Loser swears by the “flip it” method. “Flip that frozen yogurt and go to the topping station first,” she says. “Put fresh berries, whatever fruits you want, and then go to the machine and top it.”

Photo: Gourmet/Romulo Yanes

Frozen Yogurt Tip: DO layer your toppings strategically.

First, add bigger fruits like whole strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries; they’ll help your cup look fuller, says Dawn Jackson Blatner, R.D. Then “the second layer of good toppings should be the things that have a lot of volume like cereal…or things that have a lot of puffy air in them. When it comes to all the other candy toppings, I would keep it simple.”

Frozen Yogurt Tip: DO ask for a smaller cup.

You may not know it, but many self-serve yogurt stores have smaller-size cups that are not on display. Carolyn Brown, M.S., R.D., at Foodtrainers, a New York City-based nutrition practice, recommends asking for a small one and limiting yourself to a serving of one and a half swirls.

Frozen Yogurt Tip: Regardless of the size of your cup, DON’T fill it to the top.

There’s no need to treat your fro-yo cup like it’s the storage for your last supper. Alyse Levine, M.S., R.D., at Nutritionbite, a nutrition practice in Los Angeles, suggests capping yours at 4 to 5 ounces max. Most cups, she says, are meant to hold four times that much. “Have it weighed at the counter before you add any toppings,” she says. “That helps to keep the yogurt portion in check.”

Photo: Gourmet/Romulo Yanes

Frozen Yogurt Tip: DON’T spend more than $4.

Try balancing your waistline with your budget. Stephanie Middleberg, M.S., R.D., says, “I recommend clients keep to a kiddie-size serving or under $4 at a self-serve store. Think of a single scoop of ice cream, or the size of a tennis ball—that should be your frozen-yogurt portion.”

Frozen Yogurt Tip: DON’T mix flavors.

Sure, swirling your two favorite flavors sounds like a great idea, but there’s a good reason to resist. “We have a limit where our taste buds start fatiguing on a certain flavor,” Blatner says. “If you pick only one topping and flavor, you actually feel way more satisfied than if you were picking multiple things.”

We’ve chatted about toppings, but there’s also a time to ditch ‘em completely. If you’ve already overindulged throughout the day but still need a sweet fix, Brown says to go for naked fro-yo. “The problem with the salad bar style, you soon load it up with thousands of calories in a treat, which is not a treat. That’s beyond a treat. It’s like a treat for a week. Plain is the best way to do things.”

Photo: Gourmet/Romulo Yanes

Frozen Yogurt Tip: DON’T think sugar-free means healthier.

The absence of sugar can mean the presence of artificial sweeteners, which can actually stoke your sweet tooth, making you crave even more. “There is no way you can look at a frozen yogurt and tell if it’s all natural or made with artificial ingredients,” says Sass. So be sure to check out the ingredient list, which is often posted on machines or available in a brochure near the register.

Frozen Yogurt Tip: DO make fro-yo outings a social event.

Often when people bring sweet treats home, they don’t feel as embarrassed eating and will order larger sizes with more decadent toppings, says Blatner. “They feel under the veil of being by themselves and eating. Frozen yogurt is about enjoyment, so make sure that you are in a social situation actually enjoying it.” No sappy fro-yo pity parties, please—get your friends and go!